


Denial Is A Funny Thing

by BakaPandy



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Roommates, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 18:57:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9002725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaPandy/pseuds/BakaPandy
Summary: Rin's just about had it with Haru. Was it really so hard for Haru to go down the hall and ask their RA out on a date?





	

**Author's Note:**

> *rises from dead* Hey guys, instead of going back and finished the others fics I've left standing I've decided to start a new one evidently I have my priorities straight.  
> Anyway...this fic has been sitting my ideas backburner for ages and it's actually an extended version of a short oneshot I did a while back based off of mielesmile's college AU on tumblr (you can read see the beautiful art/comics about it [ HERE ](http://mielesmile.tumblr.com/tagged/college-au)) I'll probably remove that oneshot at some point since that part will most likely be inserted into this fic later.  
> SO HERE IT IS. Really this is just an excuse for me to write Rin and Haru being snarky at each other, Haru pining for Makoto, and Rin and Sousuke being gross boyfriends.  
> AND DON'T WORRY I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN MY OTHER FICS I WILL WORK ON THEM I PROMISE. I've just been in an awful slump for those but they haven't been abandoned completely.

Moving in day was far too much of a hassle than it needed to be. Haru sighed as he straightened from placing the last of his moving boxes beside its companions on his half of the room. A swipe of his wrist to his forehead drew away droplets of sweat. He wondered whether he could sneak away for a swim before Rin came back.

The door burst open just then.

Of course he couldn’t.

“Yo, Haru.” Rin greeted as he shouldered his way through the door, arms laden with a large storage box filled with who-knows-what. Following close behind was Sousuke, equally burdened with another box. Haru locked gazes with him over the top of the box. “No.” Rin quipped sternly before either of them could say a word. “Not a peep from either of you. Until everything in this room is placed exactly where it should be, I will not stand for any trash talk between you two.” He stalked around his boyfriend’s hulking form and ushered him further into the room, gesturing for him to place his box beside the one Rin had just set down. “Honestly, I don’t know why you two can’t just get along.” Rin muttered as he rifled through one of the bins, handing a plastic container of disinfectant wipes to Sousuke, who took it obediently. Rin stood again, wielding a hand-held vacuum. “I’d like for us to all hang out together sometime and that is significantly more difficult to do when my boyfriend and my best friend go at each other’s throats every five minutes.” Haru shrugged and turned back to his own boxes, taking things out at random.

“How do you know we’re not actually friends? And aren’t doing it on purpose.” He questioned casually. Rin glowered as he crossed his arms and looked between Sousuke and Haru.

“You goddamn better not be or I will kick both your asses.” Sousuke, who had wisely chosen to remain silent up until that point, let out a quiet snort. Rin whipped around to face him, a look of horror on his face. “YOU ARE?” He nearly screeched.

“No.” Sousuke replied calmly, taking out a wipe to clean off Rin’s desk. “Nanase and I really just don’t get along. Clashing ideologies I suppose.” Rin only huffed and proceeded to unfold his sheets to make the bed.

“Clashing ideologies or not,” Rin muttered grumpily, “You guys could at least try.”

 

* * *

 

Cleaning continued for the next hour with Rin barking out an order every so often for where Sousuke should put something. Haru and Sousuke skirted around each other, each silenced quickly by a glare from Rin whenever the merest sign of a verbal rebuke from either of them became evident. Soon enough, the room was significantly tidier. Rin let out a loud groan as he stretched before proceeding to flop heavily on top of Sousuke, who had laid down on Rin’s bed for a break. Haru gave them a dark look from over his shoulder.

“Can you two not.” He deadpanned as Rin shimmied his way up Sousuke’s torso to press their lips together. His only response was a kindly presented middle finger as Rin deepened the kiss. Haru’s nose wrinkled in distain as he placed the last of his clothes into the open drawer and quickly made his way to the door. His escape, however, was thwarted when he ran nose first into what felt like a solid brick wall.

“Oh my goodness!” Came a startled voice as Haru stumbled back in shock. Large hands suddenly gripped his shoulders to steady him and when Haru looked back up, he was met with pools of spring green lit with concern. “Are you alright?” Asked that voice again, tinged with worry. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming out. I was just about to knock!”

“It’s fine…” Haru managed to breathe out as he finally composed himself enough to take in the figure before him. He was tall, probably as tall as Sousuke, with a solid build draped in comfortable-looking flannel. Light hair fell softly over kind eyes framed by thick-framed glasses.

It suddenly became very difficult for Haru to breathe.

“I hope…I wasn’t interrupting…?” The newcomer spoke again and Haru noticed a tinge of pink on high cheekbones as he followed the green gaze to some point past his shoulder. Haru suddenly remembered that he wasn’t alone in the room. He barely suppressed a sigh of relief when he turned around quickly to find that Rin had had enough sense to disentangle himself from Sousuke to sit at the edge of the bed.

“Nope.” Rin replied readily with a small wave as got up and made his way to stand by Haru. “Can we help you?”

“Oh, um, yeah. I just came to introduce myself. I’m the RA, Makoto Tachibana.” Tachibana’s smile was blinding. “I live two doors down from you.” Rin grinned in response.

“Oh yeah, I saw you in the hall earlier.” He stuck out a hand. “Matsuoka. Rin Matsuoka.” Tachibana took it with a continuing smile and then turned to Haru, waiting. Haru, in the meanwhile, hadn’t heard a word as he had suddenly become preoccupied with wondering whether those lips were as soft as they looked. Only when Rin coughed slightly, did Haru look back up at expectant green before quickly glancing at his roommate beside him.

“Nanase.” He replied automatically, hoping he gave the correct response. “Haruka Nanase.” He ignored the twinkle in Rin’s eye he had glimpsed in favor of the twist in his stomach when Tachibana’s expression lit up at the reply.

“Well, nice to meet you both! And you, as well, um…”

“Yamazaki.” Sousuke intoned from the background with a lazy salute. “I’m just helping out with the heavy lifting.”

“My boyfriend.” Rin supplied smugly. “You’ll see him around.”

“Ah, I see.” Tachibana replied with another bright polite smile. “Well, it’s good to see you all settling in ok. If you need anything, just come knock on my door.”

Tachibana disappeared with wave and Haru suddenly felt as if the world crashed back into him, leaving him winded. There was silence in the room and when Haru looked up at Rin, who was still standing next to him, all he saw was a smug shit-eating grin.

“What?” Haru tested, even if he knew he certainly did not want to hear the answer.

Rin only hummed as he spun slowly to amble back to Sousuke on the bed and perched himself next to him with one leg crossed over the other. He leaned forward to scrutinize Haru. “The last time I saw you so star struck over anything was when you saw the school’s Olympic sized pool during try-outs.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Haru turned to shuffle back to his bed, ignoring Rin’s gaze. He had planned to escape the room, but suddenly wasn’t sure he was strong enough to accidentally bump into that beacon of light that had lit up the room just moments before. He supposed he’d just suffer in silence. Rin scoffed loudly.

“What’s your problem?” He jabbed.

“I don’t have a problem.” Haru quipped back. Even if he wasn’t looking, he could almost hear Rin roll his eyes and throws his hands up.

“Alright, fine, if you’re not going to admit that you’re head over heels for Mr. Sunshine-Perfect-RA-Next-Door then I’ll just let you fester.”

Haru was quite certain it’d be all of five minutes before that promise was broken.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is un-beta'd so please excuse typos and grammar mishaps.  
> I'm also considering writing a spin-off about how Rin and Sousuke met and got together, which I assure you, is JUST as sappy and gross as this one will be. 
> 
> Comments and Critiques are greatly appreciated!


End file.
